Cecilie Bahnsen has made diaphanous cloud dresses her signature, but through her ongoing collaborations with Asics and The North Face, the designer has lent her whimsical treatment to more technical staples. The former saw her introduce floral-swathed trainers and icy Mary-Jane hybrids to the gorp-dominated sneaker market, and the latter – the most recent iteration, which recently debuted on the runway at Paris Fashion Week – fuses femininity and function. The union’s visual identity rings true to the way that many of Bahnsen’s loyals, who are often seen on the streets of her native Copenhagen, wear the hero styles: puffy dresses beneath pocketed jackets, ruched tops with crunchy shell pants.
Fittingly, in line with the debut of her autumn/winter offering, Bahnsen has released the product from her debut collaboration, which launched for spring/summer 2025. Grounded in the fabric innovations that The North Face has long championed in its product range, the seven-piece collection features archive styles from the brand – in particular, those designed by the late Ingrid Harshbarger – infused with Bahnsen’s Scandi charm.
The brand’s Mountain jacket – a weatherproof style originally crafted to endure harsh conditions and that, this year, celebrates its 40th anniversary – is at the centre of the capsule. Adopted not only by avid explorers, it has also become a directional piece beloved by city-dwellers, and was the focal point of the brand’s previous collaborations with MM6 Maison Margiela, Supreme and KAWS. Bahnsen’s crowd are sure to love her floral-appliquéd take.
Unlike the poppy hues Bahnsen has favoured in collections past, her turn with The North Face is rendered in all black. Alongside a shorter version of the Mountain, and one that’s been manipulated into a dress silhouette, there are shorts, a playful take on The North Face’s Glenclyffe boots, and a Base Camp duffel and clutch. Plenty for Cecilie Bahnsen devotees – and those who are willing to add a floral touch to their technical-wear – to embrace for the season ahead.
The North Face X Cecilie Bahnsen is available to shop now on selected retailers, Thenorthface.com and Ceciliebahnsen.com.
This story was originally published in British Vogue.
